Sometime We'll Understand

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yoaml8

Maxwell Newton Cornelius was a successful builder. But one day he lost his leg due to an accident. Undaunted, he pursued the ministry and became a successful Presbyterian minister. In 1885 he moved to California and was able to grow a small church of 100 to over 1,000 in just three years. Things seemed to be going well.

But then the economy began to falter and his wife developed health problems. The financial burdens on the church and the illness of his wife began to consume his time. Like any of us, Maxwell began to wonder why God had permitted so many struggles into his life. After all, he was working for God, but he felt his burdens were greater than he could bear.

Deep in thought on what the future would hold both here and in heaven he wrote his first and only poem which later became the song, “Sometime We’ll Understand.” Not long after he wrote the poem his wife died. He preached her funeral and included the poem at the close of the service.

In those days such an event was covered by the local media, so his sermon and this poem were both printed in the local newspaper. An evangelist by the name of Major Whittle saw the poem and encouraged James McGranahan to write the music for these words.

Here are the first verse and chorus of that song.

Not now, but in the coming years,

It may be in the better land,

We’ll read the meaning of our tears,

And there, sometime, we’ll understand.

Then trust in God thro all thy days;

Fear not for He doeth hold thy hand,

Though dark the way, still sing and praise;

Sometime, sometime, we’ll understand.

In the Old Testament the Book of Job gives us insight on a tremendously righteous man. Job was the innocent victim of absolute devastation. In the course of one day he lost all that he owned, all but four of his servants and all ten of his children. Yet, he was able to maintain his focus on God, trusting that somewhere, sometime an answer would be revealed to him.

Often we will face struggles in this life and not be able to make sense out of them. Ironically, our struggles may sometimes increase when we serve God the most.

But that serves a purpose as well. I am convinced that every hardship and challenge in life is an opportunity to grow stronger or to grow weaker. We do not choose when or what type of hardship will come, but we do choose how we will react to that situation.

Consider the following passages.

In Psalm 56:11 we read, “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

And Hebrews 13:5-6 states, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we ever be ready to trust in God whenever we face problems in this life. May we eagerly leave our cares and burdens with Him and know that sometime, someday, we’ll understand.

Our thought for the day: “In heaven, God will reveal what on earth He chose to conceal.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.